1. Field
Aspects of the present invention generally relate to a mechanism for controlling start-up in an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, demands for power saving in an image forming apparatus such as a printer or a copying machine have been heightening, and a requirement related to energy saving has become important. A normal conventional image forming apparatus is known to shift to a state where printing can be immediately performed (a standby state) when powered up, and to shift to a sleep state by restricting components to be energized when it has not been used for a predetermined period of time (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-229077).
However, it is not frequent that an image forming apparatus is immediately used when powered up compared with the case of apparatuses such as a camera, a television set, and a personal computer. For example, although the image forming apparatus is powered up to coincide with an opening time, a document may often be actually printed only thirty minutes after the opening time due to a morning meeting or mail checking. In such a case, the image forming apparatus shifts to a standby state after power-up, then shifts to the sleep state, and shifts to the standby state again when printing is performed, resulting in increased power consumption. Therefore, the technique is not desirable from the viewpoint of power saving.